CW Wraps Up Upfront Ad Sales With Strong Growth

It’s hard to say whether this indicates that the ad market is more robust than expected, or that CW is simply taking business from its rivals. But the network co-owned by CBS and Warner Bros just became the first broadcaster to complete its upfront selling with unit prices up about 4% and volume up between 12% and 15%, I’m told.

CW picked up 30 new clients, including auto makers, finance and retail companies.

This is an improvement from last year when RBC Capital Markets’ David Bank estimated it generated about $400 million in upfront sales. The network’s volume fell 5% in 2014, while unit pricing increased between 3% and 4%.

CW had a better story to tell, and sell, this year. The season ending in May was its best since 2008. It brought in males with The Flash — its most watched series ever — and Arrow. Jane The Virgin was a critical success.